A new season has begun: with rich colors; harvests from fruits of labor; and new ways to experience endings and beginnings. I am reminded of a recent experience at the Parliament of World Religions in Salt Lake City, where almost 10,000 people came together from throughout the world. Tibetan monks were creating a sand "mandala" (circle or balance) to celebrate the 80th birthday of the Dalai Lama. The monks patiently added, grain by grain, sands of many colors to slowly build a design intricate and beautiful.
Each day of the conference, the mandala grew. And, at the end of the fifth day, when their work was complete, the creation was swept away. All is temporary!
A new season, a new beginning. Are we ready to use the colors of this season to create a new life together?
As this new blog, Dialogue San Diego, takes shape, I invite your feedbook and thoughts.
- What colors your lives?
- What is important to you?
- What dialogues can we pursue to get to know one another?
May we respect the living and the dead - the endings and beginnings - in each of our lives! And may the sands that are added by each of us build a new mandala of life, keeping in mind the temporary and sacred moments we have together!
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| Larry Gardepie |
Great start! I think that if I slow down enough to have meaningful dialogue with even one person each day, that could be so good for me and for the relationship.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Darcy, for your comments! I like the idea of slowing down and being intention.
ReplyDeleteI've also watched a mandala like that being made. They did throat singing with horns at the end as part of the ritual to sweep their creation away. Then they took the sand and asked each of us to place the sand in a river with a prayer for peace since rivers go out to the sea and the sea reaches the world.
ReplyDeleteAs for what is important to me, it hasn't changed for years. I care about world hunger. There is no reason for anyone to go to bed hungry in this world. The fact that hunger is so widespread is a testament to the utter failure of world leaders. The other is the protection of our little blue planet. We crap up our world and nothing else will matter.
Kelly, after reading your entry, I wish I had stayed for the Mandala closing ceremony. What symbolism! To distribute the sand, asking us to disperse it in our various waterways, and pray for peace!
DeleteLike you, I am concerned about decisions that we make - as individuals, leaders, nations, and the global community. Hunger, poverty, sustainability, climate issues.... so many ways that we can come together and seek solutions that will benefit creation and creatures alike. Maybe through our daily decisions and actions of compassion and self-giving we can bring health back to our world!
In the words of Dag Hammarsjgold: "For all that has been, Thank You. For all that is to come, Yes!"
Oh Larry.....once again you've nailed it on the head. Not only are you an inspiration to me, but your words are poetry to my ears and food for my soul.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Anita, for your comments and compliments! It is through our Community that I am learning from you as well!
ReplyDeleteHello Larry, What a wonderful beginning and middle to the ongoing dialogue practice. Thank you for starting this blog. I enjoy your mysticism very much, including questions, images and considerations. May this blog flourish! Michael Tompkins, IHM
ReplyDeleteThanks, Michael, for your support and inspiration along this journey!
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